Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods Book 2)
Available at Bookshop.org
3.5/5
The Big Questions:
What genre is this in? YA fantasy
Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Cornelius Clover is quite the charmer
Is it spicy? There’s romance, but it is secondary
Is it violent or gory? There’s some action sequences, but not overly violent or gory
Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you are a fan of the first book, borrow it!
“I guess this is where our story begins.”
Review: This one is a mixed bag of a second book.
What I liked: The parallel plots were interwoven pretty well. The secondary characters were given some fun here and I really enjoyed their additions to the plot. The development of lore from the first book was greatly expanded. I enjoyed the toxic dynamic of Emory and Romie, which I didn’t expect. Their relationship was built up to be this amazing sisterhood, but the reality is quite different once Romie understands how much Emory has changed.
What I didn’t like: The pacing was all over the place. Dedicating nearly 2/3 of the book to two of the heroes and then kind of shoving in the final hero near the end just feels off. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we will learn more about the final hero in the third book. I don’t know. The last third of the book just felt rushed as if the author spent so much time building up the other two heroes and then remembered the parallel story needed to catch up and shift the storyline there. I don’t know, for a story that needed to move quickly with the fate of the universe at stake, the plot just seemed to meander for most of the book.
What I loved: The world building, for the most part, is excellent. I really had fun explore the different worlds that the heroes originated from. The individual character development for Baz, Kai, Emory, and Romie were incredibly well done. I loved their journeys so much seeing them truly come into their own here, especially with the addition of Kai and Romie as protagonists. Kai and Baz, CHEFS KISS, my goodness. Love their dynamic.
All in all, while it doesn’t capture the magic of the first book, I will be continuing the series.